


Overcoming Tragedy in a Strange World

by IzumakiSon



Category: Naruto, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IzumakiSon/pseuds/IzumakiSon
Summary: Naruto's world has been destroyed by Madara Uchiha. Everyone he cares about has been killed. In the world of Young Justice, he realizes the best way to honor his friends is to help protect the world he now inhabits.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on FF.net under my account there. I hope you all enjoy the story!

I do not own Naruto or anything from DC comics.

Naruto woke up with a start. His heart trying to beat out of his chest, and his breath coming out in rapid gasps. His eyes flying over the area, looking for threats that only exist in his mind. His left eye in particular seemed to notice every single detail and burnt it into his memory. His breathing calmed and his heart slowed, realizing he only had a nightmare. A nightmare that made him relive the event that brought him to this...universe.

He sighed and sat up, closing his new left eye. A gift from his late teacher. Despite his attempts to ward off his painful memories, they always came back. Every night, he saw the remnants of his home, nothing left there but blood and flame and a sensei's sacrifice.

He stood up and stretched, finally managing to banish the memories if only for a moment.

Knowing sleep was a lost cause, he shrugged off his old clothes and replaced them with an orange hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans. He grabbed a tattered black face mask and pulled his hood up.

He carefully climbed out of the shattered window, then walked on the walls up to the dilapidated roof.

Opening his sensei's eye, he looked out and around for just a moment before shutting it. "Slow night." He muttered softly, a bit disappointed. He needed to let off some steam. The thugs of Gotham made great punching bags.

"Probably 'cause of him, most crooks in Gotham are scared of him." A young sounding voice replied cheerfully. Naruto quickly turned around to find the source. 

He tried not to show his surprise as the bright colors and cape registered in his mind. He didn't care much about the kid wearing the bright clothes. He was no threat. He cared a lot more about the...person to his right. Naruto wasn't sure if the man before could really be called that, the way he seemed to melt out of the shadows.

"What do you call yourself?" A gruff voice asked. "Kage." Naruto answered, his moniker being a tribute to those brave leaders who had died to protect their home. 

"You are Batman and Robin." Naruto said, showing that further introductions weren't necessary.

"You're skilled, and you're abilities are impressive. There's a new team being put together. If you actually want to help people instead of running around punching thieves, then you'll agree to join." Batman said bluntly. 

Naruto tried not to let his interest show. Batman made an interesting offer, but he learned quickly that in this world, every opportunity usually came with some kind of catch. It wouldn't surprise him if the Batman had some kind of ulterior motive.

He didn't voice his suspicions though. It'd be better to not let Batman know he was on to him. Therefore, Naruto nodded. "Sure, where do I...sign up?" He asked a bit hesitantly. His grasp on English still wasn't perfect. Shadow clones and the sharingan helped a great deal, but he only landed here about a week ago. Batman tossed him a piece of paper with an address on it.   
"Meet there tomorrow." Batman ordered.

Naruto blinked and then Batman and Robin were gone. He allowed himself a small smile. At least tomorrow wouldn't be boring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto meets The Team, and tries to make a good first impression.

Chapter 2

Naruto almost threw up. Forced to watch as Madara tore his friends apart all over again. His entire body hurt, and his throat felt like he swallowed one of Sasuke's fireballs. Madara broke every bone in Naruto’ body, and his muscles were practically liquid.

His left eye may or may not have been torn out. Knowing Madara, he'd do it just for kicks and giggles, but he couldn't be entirely sure. Being in so much pain that you honestly wanted to die tends to blur your memories a bit.

He knew only one thing for sure. Right now, the only reason he kept breathing was because Madara felt like it. It probably amused him. Tormenting him by making him watch, helpless, as his friends were slowly murdered. It gave him some sort of sick satisfaction. However, Naruto refused to give Madara the ultimate satisfaction of hearing his screams of hearing him begging for mercy .

Despite the pain, he managed to smirk. He'd be getting up any minute now. He felt Kurama's chakra pulse through him, trying to heal the worst of his injuries, but his eye wouldn't be coming back anytime soon though, if at all.

—-

Naruto gasped awake. Once again, he had been trapped in the prison of his mind. His past tormenting him. He sat up and stretched his muscles.

He felt better than he had in weeks, but he knew he wasn't at his best. He knew he wouldn't be 100%, at least until Kurama had recovered, and he had no idea if or when that would be. "Not if!" He corrected himself. He couldn't afford to be pessimistic. Kurams had to get better

He smiled at his surroundings. His home wasn't much, just a small one bedroom apartment not much better than the one he had in Konoha as a genin. However, it beat sleeping in a different run down building every night. The night he met Batman would hopefully be the last time he needed to sleep in one of those big metal death traps! He had finally saved enough from his jobs to afford the rent in a much nicer part of town. "Shadow clone justu, how I love you." He said to nobody in particular.

His signature justu allowed him to work multiple jobs at the same time. That let him make enough to pay the rent, get a motorcycle, and eat regularly. He didn't have any furniture though. He didn't really have a lot extra money, but he still made just enough to live.

He quickly shook his thoughts away.

He showered and went through his other morning rituals, and he got dressed in his "hero clothes" a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and his former sensei's face mask. He left his apartment, taking just a few granola bars and a water bottle for his probably too early breakfast. The sun wasn't even out yet!

—

A few hours later, he arrived at the location that the Batman told him to go to. He double checked that his mask was on and his hood up. He wanted his civilian life as far away from his hero life as possible. Kage had to be a shadow that protected the innocent; he couldn't inspire hope in others as just Naruto.

The Batman himself appeared before him, once he got within a few feet of the mountain. To be honest, Naruto still wasn't convinced Batman was actually human with the way he practically merged with the shadows, but everybody he had spoken to (mostly just assholes that he got to beat the crap out of) agreed that he was indeed just a normal human.

"Follow me." The older man intoned darkly, his cape billowing. Naruto nodded, and screwing his courage, he refused to be the first to break eye contact. Batman may not have super powers, but holy crap, he could be intimidating!

He'd be lying if he said if he didn't feel at least a twinge of nervousness as he stared at Batman. Still, Naruto had stared down monsters like Madara Uchiha, and before that, he had convinced the self proclaimed god, Pain, to change his ways. Batman, while scary, didn't strike nearly as much fear into his heart, but he still got the feeling Batman wasn't a person you wanted to be angry at you.

The man turned around and began to walk towards what, Naruto assumed was, the entrance. He entered the cave and saw a group of teens standing around in civilian clothes. "I go by Kage. It is...good to meet you all." He greeted, trying not to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. His accent, while not overbearing in his opinion, was very noticeable. English still gave him trouble, even with shadow clones and the sharingan.

"Hello, you must be Kage, I'm Aqualad. Call me Kaldur." A young man with dark skin and light hair greeted warmly. He was fairly tall with a muscular build, clearly having seen combat a few times. The way he carried himself too, it was different from how civilians usually did, he carried himself with a grace and confidence that only warriors had. Naruto quickly knew he was one of his new teammates.

His eyes shifted to another person, a tall boy with red hair. "Heya, Kage! Out in the field the name's Kid Flash! But, real name's Wally West, and the kid with the sunglasses is Robin. The Bat won't let him tell anybody his secret i.d though. Since we're a team though we should probably all know each other's real name, it's annoying enough not being able to call Rob by his real name." The motormouth boy announced cheerfully and with all the subtlety of a rampaging bear. Having finished his own introduction, he rapidly ran up to shake Naruto's hand.

Wally planned on that, but Naruto put a stop to that with a strike aimed at Wally's gut which the other boy barely dodged.

Naruto cursed in Japanese, and instantly pulled back his fist! He just attacked one of his new teammates! Damn his shinobi reflexes! "I'm sorry! You surprised me!" He apologized profusely. "My real name is U-Naruto Uzumaki by the way.." He offered, wanting to make up for almost hurting Wally.

"It's okay dude. Remind me not to get on your bad side and never sneak up on you! You almost hit me, and I'm one of the fastest people alive!" He exclaimed. Wally tried not to wince as he walked back towards Robin and the others; the blonde looked absolutely terrifying for a second there.

"Um… so who are you?" Naruto asked. looking to the tall dark haired boy in the black shirt, after a moment of silence, the boy replied. "I'm Superboy." His posture made it clear that was all he wanted to say. Naruto sighed in disappointment inwardly, but he didn't let his confidence seem shaken. Guess not everyone would want to immediately want to be his friend. He should’ve expected as much, the guy kinda reminded him of Sasuke, but he was more of a strong silent type than arrogant asshole. 

"Hi Kage! I'm M'gann, but you can call me Megan if you'd like!" A girl with green skin chirped! "Hi Megan, nice to meet you." Naruto responded with equal cheer, unperturbed by her green skin. He had seen way weirder things in his life than someone with green skin.

Introductions were now out of the way, and Naruto wondered what he should do next.

He didn't know when their first mission was, for all he knew, it could be more than a year until they had one! He could go back to Gotham if he wanted to, but what would have been the point of coming here then? He had only just arrived after all.

A moment passed and his eyes lit up! "Do anybodies wish to spar? Er, I mean does anyone want to spar?" He asked, stumbling over the words a bit. He figured that'd be an excellent ice breaker! You don’t really know someone until you fight them.  
"Very sorry for my mistakes, English is so different from Japanese! I'm not too good at it yet." He admitted with a blush, though it was hidden by his mask.

"Don't worry about it too much. Trust me, learning a new language can be really hard." Robin assured.

"Ok now that your little bonding session is over, I think I’ll go a round or two with you. I need some exercise." Superboy directed a cocky smirk towards the blond teen. He clearly wanted some kind of challenge, a measuring stick of sorts. Naruto immediately thought of Sasuke again. He really missed his best friend. Sasuke always wanted to test himself to prove that he was the best, and he always needed to be stronger, only motivated by his hatred.

He blinked his eyes trying to fight back his tears of rage; just as soon as it felt like Sasuke was about to let go of his hatred, when they fought together, when his sharingan eyes burned hot with not just hatred but a sincere desire to protect. The man had swallowed his pride and agreed to work with him. Then...the worst happened.

'I swear on my life, I will never let another Madara rise!' Maybe, if Naruto just tried a little harder, he could have stopped him. Naruto swallowed his guilt and burning hatred. Forcing himself to remain calm, he looked to Superboy and nodded. Naruto could control himself enough to not seriously hurt Superboy. The boy looked pretty muscular, but he doubted he was as strong as himself. He looked around for a moment, before he noticed a good place to spar. A mostly flat, elevated area on the floor. He walked over towards it; Superboy right behind him.

They reached their destination, and Naruto slipped into a fighting stance. "We start on three. One…" He started. When he finished counting, he charged towards Superboy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm glad some of you are enjoying this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please tell me what you think about it! If this gets enough love and attention, I'll probably post the next chapter soon, sometimes within the next 2 weeks. Until next time, see ya!


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